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Guest Post: 5 Ways to Stay Motivated to Keep Fit

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Joshua is an ex-addict and founder of the Ohio Addiction Recovery Center. He enjoys writing to educate others about treatment resources, addiction awareness, and general health advice.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to fall into lazy patterns? Take more than five days off of your normal routine, and it’s almost like starting from square one. Your mind knows you should exercise, but it’s swaying more towards plopping those yoga pants on the couch than holding a plank.

Sometimes life doesn’t allow us to maintain a consistent routine. It’s at these times when we must make more of an effort to stay motivated.

Here are five ways to keep your mind motivated to move your body.

1. Stop drinking

Working out with a hangover is no fun. But it’s not just excessive alcohol consumption that’s a problem. Alcohol is a depressant, and daily drinking can really zap your motivation. Avoid partying late into the night and try not to drink at all the night before any workout.

One drink typically isn’t a problem, but one drink every night can start to weight on your motivation levels.

2. Set goals

Try setting a time-based goal that has nothing to do with weight or fitness level. So instead of losing 5 pounds in a month or being able to do 25 push-ups by a set date, set a goal for your workouts. If you typically workout 15 times a month, set your goal to 20 or 25. Keep your goals reasonable, but do your best to stick to them. Having this type of goal should keep you from skipping classes.

3. Try something new

If you feel like you’re in an exercise rut, try something new. If you typically run, try adding a barre class to the mix. Whenever you do something new, your mind is automatically more engaged because you have to learn new moves.

As you introduce new things into your workout, try to keep the same routine. For example, if you workout every day at the same time, try to keep this consistent. If you change things up too much at once, it may throw a wrench into your fitness goals.

4. Shift your perspective

If you think you’re the kind of person who doesn’t work out, you are. Shift your perspective however you can to start thinking of yourself as an athlete. Maybe you’re setting an example for your kids or just trying to become a healthier person.

You don’t have to have a perfect body or even a strong one to think of yourself as an athlete. What we’re talking about here is a state of mind. Get your mind there and your body will follow.

5. Start a routine

Think about your strongest routine. For most people, this involves waking up and getting ready for work at a certain time. It’s just what you do. The same can be true for your workout when you remain consistent. If you work out every day at 8 a.m., you won’t have any question about whether that’s what you should be doing. In fact, things will likely feel “off” whenever you skip a workout. You don’t have to work out every day either. You can create a routine that happens every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Or any day of the week. Make it your own. Just be consistent.

Whether you’ve fallen out of your routine or are trying to build up the motivation to work out for the first time, you can use these tips to help get you going. When it comes to motivation, your mind is always going to be your strongest muscle. Use it to help get you excited about your fitness goals, and then keep crushing those goals every day.